Craig Revel Horwood unrecognisable as he unveils huge makeover for Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing's longest-serving judge Craig Revel Horwood is showing off a brand new look as he prepares for the latest series of the BBC show, which begins on Saturday

Craig Revel Horwood looks worlds away from his usual Strictly Come Dancing look.

BBC viewers will struggle to recognise the star as he returns to his judging seat on the dance floor. Craig is the longest-serving judge on Strictly and is the only judge to have appeared on the show from the very beginning.

In new pictures released ahead of Strictly's return to BBC One on Saturday, Craig is sporting a very different look as he shows off his brunette locks and matching beard. Strictly viewers will struggle to recognise the star without his signature clean-shaven look.

The Strictly judge returns to the show alongside head judge Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke. Strictly celebrates its 20th year this series and Craig can't believe how quickly the time has gone since he first judged a performance on the show.

Speaking about Strictly's 20th celebrations this year, Craig said: Well, for me, it's life-changing, obviously, because when I started back in May 2004, I had no idea it would last one season, let alone 20 years. And now, I'm Len's age when he started, which is bizarre because there was a 20-year age difference between us.

"It's really exciting and I can't wait. It’s one of those shows that feels brand new every year because of the cast. It feels like a completely different show every time. So for me, it's really exciting, and it's been wonderful to wave the dance flag for the last 20 years."

Opening up on what the judges get up to behind the scenes, Craig revealed he has lots of sweet treats on hand to help him through the long filming day on a Saturday. He said: "I have an abundance of little sweets, like a pick and mix. I love those because I never know what I fancy - mainly, I have Wine Gums. And I might have a black coffee to keep me going."

Despite being the only judge to have featured in every series, Craig admitted he still gets nervous. He said: "As soon as I hear the music, I think, 'Okay, what’s going to happen?' The reason I’m nervous is for the contestants because they've worked hard all week for that one performance. Because it’s live, there’s no turning back.

"Whatever happens on that day happens, and even professionals have made mistakes over the years. There’s no escaping it, and you just don’t know how it’s going to go on the night."

The line-up for the new season includes TV presenter Nick Knowles and ex-footballer Paul Merson. Other competitors include Olympic swimmer Tom Dean, Gladiators star Montell Douglas, hockey player-turned-TV personality Sam Quek and EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick.

This season will also see Tasha Ghouri from Love Island joining the show, following Zara McDermott who participated in 'Strictly' last year. JLS star JB Gill, singers Wynne Evans and Toyah Willcox, NHS and TV doctor Punam Krishan, TV personality Pete Wicks will also take part while actors Shayne Ward and Sarah Hadland complete the line-up.

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